Jaipur: The Jaipur Literature Festival will be returning to the world stage from 22–31 May 2026 as JLF: Island of Ireland edition. Unlike other editions, the Irish version of the festival will take place in different cities across the country.
“It is almost a caravan of literature moving from the north to the south and toward the border counties,” Irish Ambassador to India Kevin Kelly, who announced the event, told ThePrint.
The announcement was made at the ongoing Jaipur Literature Festival in Hotel Clarks Amer on 16 January. The former Taoiseach (Prime Minister of Ireland) Leo Varadkar also spoke about the upcoming festival.
Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director of Teamworks Art, moderated the panel, offering a glimpse of what was to come. Roy was joined on stage by Sonja Highland, Deputy Secretary General of the Irish Foreign Ministry and authors Sam McBride, Niamh Campbell, Michelle Gallen, and Fintan O’Tool. The four Irish authors will be attending the JLF in their home country.
The travelling concert of literature will start in Belfast, then move to Armagh and Dundalk, before ending in Dublin. Jeet Thayil, Kavita Puri, Michelle Gallen, Tishani Doshi, William Dalrymple and Jane Ohlmeyer have confirmed their participation so far.
Also read: JLF is a unique assembly of tradition and modernity, says Rajasthan CM
Shared colonial, literary history
A distinct feature of the festival will be its historical focus, exploring Ireland and India’s place within the British Empire, and how each was shaped by their experiences, as well as where and how their stories intersected. The organisers also hope that the event will engage the growing Indian community on the island.
Kelly said that the event reflects the growing depth of Ireland-India relations. He added that hosting it in Ireland was intended to show the two countries’ shared colonial histories and how they continue to share a similar literary and cultural heritage in the contemporary world.
“The all-island edition also contributes to building a more shared island: one that better understands how we came to be the way we are and where Ireland and India fit in the wider world. We hope this partnership shares the best of Irish art, literature and culture and leads to even greater collaboration with India in the future,” he said.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)